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Molluscs and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction in Island and Coastal Settings: Variability, Seasonality, and Sampling

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Zooarchaeology in Practice

Abstract

In recent years there have been significant methodological advances in sampling and interpreting oxygen isotope data from mollusc shells recovered from archaeological sites. In particular, the oxygen isotope record in mollusc shells derived from island and coastal sites reveals trends in mollusc collection intensity, seasonality, and paleoenvironmental conditions. These lines of evidence add a new dimension for interpreting human-environmental interactions. Sampling strategies that are appropriate for the growth rate of the species in question and the research objectives are essential for accurately interpreting oxygen isotope results. Therefore, we argue that high-resolution sampling methods provide more useful results than low-resolution methods, in both seasonality studies and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. This chapter will review current techniques in the geochemical analysis of mollusc shells, issues related to sampling methods and interpretation, and will address future directions for this method.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the editors for organizing an excellent volume and including our perspective. We thank Donna Surge and Christina Giovas for comments on this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Catherine F. West

  2. Department of Archaeology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, NL, Canada

    Meghan Burchell

  3. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    C. Fred T. Andrus

Authors
  1. Catherine F. West
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  2. Meghan Burchell
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  3. C. Fred T. Andrus
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine F. West .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

    Christina M. Giovas

  2. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Michelle J. LeFebvre

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West, C.F., Burchell, M., Andrus, C.F.T. (2018). Molluscs and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction in Island and Coastal Settings: Variability, Seasonality, and Sampling. In: Giovas, C., LeFebvre, M. (eds) Zooarchaeology in Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64763-0_10

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